A World Away
by actionman81
Summary: The team lands in late 1940s New York City to stop the Hunter Chronicoms, whose target seems to be Peggy Carter.
1. Chapter 1

1949 Los Angeles

"Guys, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" Agent Piper glanced from side to side as the Zephyr came through the clouds.  
"Hey, that's the Hollywood sign!" Deke Shaw beamed, "I read about that in-"  
"Hang on" Director Mack interrupted him. "We've got work to do. Things didn't exactly go well for us in the thirties, so now we've got our work cut out for us"  
"We're already here" Daisy Johnson was impatient, "We need to find Peggy Carter and make sure she's safe"  
"Agreed" Mack nodded, "but, we've got other issues at stake"  
"Like those Terminators" Yo-Yo Rodriguez filled in  
"Right" Mack swiped his finger across the electronic tablet, "Later on, SHIELD will be more operational, but right now, it's still in the planning stages"  
"SHIELD was formed shortly after World War II as a successor to the Strategic Scientific Reserve, an Allied deep science agency which fought against the Nazi-sponsored special weapons division HYDRA during the war." LMD Coulson noted  
"Good job, sir" Jemma smiled wanly. Nobody had heard from Fitz yet. The team could see that it was eating away at Simmons.  
Also quiet was May. She stared at LMD Coulson, still unsure on how to deal with him. Logically, she knew that he wasn't the man she loved, but on another level, here he seemed to be, sitting alongside them.  
"Would a kind word help?" Enoch, the Chronicom anthropologist offered  
May nodded quietly. What could hurt?  
"Perhaps we should be – blessed as it were – lucky- no- grateful, yes," he thought aloud, "grateful that we have all of our team members intact, after that last fight"  
"Sure" May exhaled  
Meanwhile, Deke had put down the laptop computer he'd been poring over, and reached over to Daisy's ear.  
"Ow! Why'd you pinch me?" Daisy shouted. She stared at Deke

"This - um- it said to" Deke looked back at the screen and then at her.  
"Said? – What are you looking at?" she snatched the laptop from him.  
"It's a page- uh site thing" he stumbled over his words.  
"It's erotic acupressure" she frowned.  
"What's that?"  
"Let's just say the lemons were more appreciated" she sighed.  
"Really?" he grinned  
Daisy groaned in disgust. She closed the site and handed him back the laptop. The danger was over. The earth hadn't been torn asunder. Unfortunately, the aftermath of the battle had left its scars on everyone. FitzSimmons was apart from each other, Mack and Yo-Yo had patched up, but things were still tense. May had lost the man she'd loved, seemingly twice. Coulson- Daisy didn't want to think about Phil Coulson. Not not. Not after what had happened.  
Daisy turned away from Deke. She didn't feel like dealing with whatever he thought was romantic. She'd lost Lincoln already. Why deal with anything more?  
"Did you know there's a point on the earlobe that-" Deke prattled on, reading another webpage.  
"Nobody cares, Deke!" she turned on him.  
"Oh-" he looked crushed. Even his beard seemed sad. He'd grown it out during their mission in the 1930s. Now, he just looked scruffy and sad.  
Daisy looked away from him. She knew what he was getting at. Everybody knew how he felt. He was a regular Captain Obvious.  
Not now. She didn't want to deal with it now. There was too much work to be done.  
So much work.  
Mack continued, "Now that we know that the _Chronicoms_ have this- face stealing technology, any male that we meet could be one of them in disguise. The most likely target, as we know, is Peggy Carter, founder of SHIELD"  
"The founders of the new agency were Chester Phillips, the director of the SSR, Howard Stark, an industrialist of great wealth and a scientific genius, and Margaret "Peggy" Carter, the former partner of the American war hero Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America" LMD Coulson explained, "I like Cap" he grinned, "A lot"  
"What?" Piper frowned in confusion at the LMD.  
"The Chronicoms might try to disguise themselves as Howard Stark, for example" LMD Coulson postulated.  
"That's a good point" Mack agreed, "Team, we've got to be more careful here. We can't have anymore mistakes like last time" he glanced around the Zephyr, pausing on Deke, and then on Daisy"  
"I'll work harder, I promise" Deke looked embarrassed.  
"It was all of us" Daisy shook her head, "by the time we realized that those cops were the – things – it was too late"  
"That's all the more reason that we've got to work together on this" Mack sighed, "no more one-up-man-ship"  
"Yes, sir" Yo Yo gave a mock salute. Her new arms looked more human now.  
"I'm serious" Mack's gaze softened, "I can't bear to lose anyone. You guys are like my family"  
"Thanks, honestly" Jemma smiled. She didn't dare let the team know just how much they were like a family, let alone how that family would be added to, sooner than anyone had hoped. She let her hand pass absently over her stomach.  
"I can't go out there, because segregation hasn't happened yet" Mack looked dejected, "so for now, we'll need two agents who can handle this mission" he glanced around the Zepher. "Jemma" he began, "I need you here, in case Fitz or someone makes contact. Piper, I can send you out with Daisy, to scout around, look for Director Carter" he gazed at LMD Coulson for a moment, "we don't need another mishap like at the bar a decade ago"  
"I could go" Deke put down the laptop and raised his hand, like a child at school, "Daisy and I didn't do so badly" he looked around for agreement, "right?"  
"True" Mack began, "I think two women might be more unsuspecting, though"  
"From what I read, women were invisible in this time" Daisy quipped  
"Deke" Jemma began, "Maybe you should stay here, work on things on the science front"  
"Alright" Deke sighed and looked away  
"We'll be back soon enough" Daisy bent over so she was facing him, "Don't worry"  
"I'm not worried" he pouted, "I just want- I – want you to be safe"  
"She can take care of herself" Piper grinned, "and probably me, too"  
Piper and Daisy were kitted out in time-appropriate clothing, and the Zephyr's doors opened.  
Nobody was prepared for what lay for them outside


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I do not condone the use of racial slurs, epithets or insults. They are included in this chapter solely to show the era.**

"This ship is now the property of the Strategic Scientific Reserve" a blond man aimed a pistol at them. Behind him were a few dozen similarly suited men, also with weaponry trained on the SHIELD agents.

"You forgot to cloak this thing" Daisy shouted back at Mack, still piloting.

"Everybody out!" Director Jack Thompson motioned with his pistol, "All of you. Now!"

The SHIELD agents looked from one to another Piper and Daisy were dressed appropriately enough, but everyone else, including Deke, especially Mack and Yo Yo, looked out of place for the late 1940s.

"Boys, get this crate covered up and taken back to HQ, pronto!" Thompson directed the SSR agents.

"Jackson, get some cuffs on all of them, especially this big boy over here" he indicated Mack.

Mack didn't care to be called "boy", of course because of the history behind such epithets.

"Excuse me," Jemma began, "We're actually looking for one of your agents"

"Zip it, Missy" Thompson held up a hand, thankfully not the one holding the pistol, "you sound like Marge, and I don't feel like talking with anyone who even remotely reminds me of her"

The SHIELD agents looked on in dismay as the SSR agents boarded the Zephyr, touched everything in view, and then proceeded to cover the entire ship with tarpaulins.

The SSR agents then pushed the SHIELD agents into a covered truck and slammed the doors shut.

"Get a load of the baldy baby" one SSR agent mocked Enoch

"Don't forget the chink" another agent threw out a derogatory epithet against May, "and what's that straight shooter doing with them?" he referenced LMD Coulson, who sat placidly in the truck.

"I remember why I hated this time" Melinda May frowned, "racism all around"

"As opposed to racism that's thinly veiled?" Daisy sighed

"Everyone banded together in the future" Deke mused aloud, "the Kree was the real enemy, not each other"

"That is a valid point" Enoch noted

"Maybe" Daisy grumbled, but nodded at Deke, "but yeah, we should band together" she smiled at him.

"One thing's for certain" Mack instructed the group, "if they're taking us to the SSR, they'll eventually take us to Peggy Carter"

"They could" May countered, "or they could just take us to a secluded place and kill us"

"Sure" Daisy was sarcastic, "like Tahiti"

"They won't do that, May" LMD Coulson spoke up, suddenly sounding human

"What did you just say?" May turned to him

"This is the SSR. They're the precursors to SHIELD. If Peggy Carter's there, then she'll find a way to make things work out"

"Does anyone else see this?" May glared at the group

"It would seem" Enoch began, "that the mention of that place, which I shall not mention again, has as it were, self-corrected something within this design model"

"Great" Deke grinned, "It'll be like having him back again"

"Something like that" Mack seemed unsure.

"Enough talking" Yo yo frowned, "Let's bust out of here and not wait for anyone to even think about killing us" she got up and headed to the truck's back doors.

"No" Mack warned, "we need to get to Peggy Carter"

"You get to Peggy Carter" she glared back at him, "I'm sick of being caged like some wild animal" she broke the lock on the back doors and flung them open, "Who's with me?"

Diasy leapt out of the truck, as did May. Predictably, LMD Coulson and Deke jumped out behind them.

Mack stood and grabbed Yo Yo's arm before she could leave

"What are you doing?" he shook his head,

"Don't you dare tell me what to do" her eyes threw daggers at him.

"Trust me, please"

"You saw how they treated anyone who's not lily white" she was firm. "What makes you think they'll treat either of us any better? Have you seen yourself in the mirror?"

Mack knew exactly what she meant. African Americans, people of Spanish, Mexican or other Latin American descent, let alone other minorities, were treated poorly in the late 1940s. Desegregation was unheard of now, and wouldn't be a law for about another ten years.

"Look at it this way" he pleaded with her, "We'll be safer in SHIELD- I mean, SSR custody than out there on the streets.

"Fine" she sighed, "I do trust you, more than you know, but I still feel that this is a mistake"

Deke ran after Daisy, "Wait for me"

"Ok" she stopped and turned to him, "when making an escape, don't shout!" she scolded him

"Alright"

"We need to do something about these clothes" May looked at her own black shirt and pants, as well as Deke's outfit. Neither looked very in step with the time period.

"Let's split up" Daisy suggested, and spied a clothing store across the street.

A quarter of an hour later, Deke and LMD Coulson emerged from the men's section, Deke dressed in a white shirt, baggy pants and suspenders. A driving beret was perched jauntily on his head.

May wore a printed dress like Daisy's and carried a larger than average purse

"Wow May" LMD Coulson beamed, "You look great" he smiled

May didn't know how to respond. The machine was seeming more and more human as time went on.

"We've got to get somewhere to hide" Daisy cautioned, "unless the Chronicoms find us, or the SSR guys"

"Hey, there's a movie theatre!" Deke pointed like a child.

"Good idea" Daisy agreed, "Let's go"


	3. Chapter 3

In the truck, Mack, Yo Yo, Enoch, Jemma and Piper awaited their fate.  
The doors swung open.  
"Alright" Thompson yelled as soon as the truck came to a final stop, "Everyone out"  
Nobody moved.  
"One, two, three-" he counted, "Damn it!" he turned to the other SSR agents, "Where'd they go?"  
"I don't know, boss?" one agent answered sheepishly  
"You don't know?" Thompson mocked him, "I'm the one who got shot a couple of years ago. I'm the one who should have memory problems, but I don't, do it?" he snarled  
The agents kept silent  
"Good" Thompson barked, "now go take them to a holding cell while I can deal with Mar- I mean, Director Carter"

In the holding cell, Jemma, Piper, Enoch, Yo Yo and Mack passed the time in discussion, as they sat on a long hard bench bolted to the wall.  
"Look on the bright side" Jemma began, "we'll be able to see Peggy Carter" she winced.  
"And if the Chronicoms have taken over anyone, we'll never be able to figure it out" Yo Yo frowned  
"We know this much" Piper explained, "that the Chronicoms are men, so they can't take over women"  
"And as far as we've seen" Mack picked up from where she finished, "they seem to favor Caucasians"  
"So they're racist?" Yo Yo gave a wry smile  
"It might simply be what's easiest for them to steal and use against others" Enoch supplied, "did you know that I can remove my-" he paused a moment, "skin, as it were the way one might remove a wetsuit or jumpsuit"  
The team looked at him with honest horror  
"I shall not do that right now" he reassured them, "but it would be one way to disguise myself"  
The team remembered how Enoch had used the skin from one of the Hunter Chronicoms to go undercover as it were and save the rest of the SHIELD team.  
"For now, we can assume that there aren't that many melanin heavy characters in SHIELD" Mack sighed, "and as much as I don't enjoy that, it might be for the best, for now, anyway"

Meanwhile, upstairs, Director Peggy Carter had already had an earful about the newcomers  
"They were in a ship, ma'am" one agent explained  
"You're telling me that they were outer space aliens?" she glared at him, "I suppose you'll say they were little green men"  
"No ma'am, just human sized" the agent didn't dare joke.  
Just then, another agent ran into the room, "We've got a problem in the holding cell" he blurted out.

Downstairs, Jemma lay on the floor, while Piper, Yo Yo, and Mack knelt beside her. Piper held Jemma's one hand while Mack placed a reassuring hand on her forehead.  
"I'm fine" Jemma began  
"And the corner over there had a spontaneously combustion of vomit?" Yo Yo shook her head  
"I believe she is- as the Biblical term – with child" Enoch explained.  
Everyone turned to see him, even Jemma.  
"I detected a second warmth but did not wish to divulge the information as it was not pertinent to the issue, as well as, not being my place" Enoch went on.  
"You could've let us know" Mack spoke not to Enoch, but to Jemma, "we're here for you, all of us"  
"I know you are" Jemma smiled weakly, "but this is just morning sickness"  
"If my calculations are correct, it is five hours and fifty two minutes post meridiem " Enoch finished

Meanwhile, agents had come down to check on the prisoners.  
"Oh, god, not this" Jemma moaned  
"Hey" Mack stood up, "She's unwell. We need a doctor, now!" he shouted  
"You'll get one when you get one" one agent snapped  
"I can't believe that Director Carter would let her agents talk to us like that" Yo Yo frowned

"If you don't like that, maybe you should go back to where you came from" the other agent spat out  
"Not now" Mack placed a reassuring hand on Yo Yo, he turned to the agents, "Sirs, we need to get her a doctor right now" he calmed his voice down, "As you can see, she's in a lot of pain"  
"Fine" the agents nodded and left. They soon returned with a portly man in a white coat  
"I'm Aloysius Samberly" he smiled through the bars, "let's see what we can do" he opened the cell door using keys provided by the agents. "What can we help with today?" he benevolently looked down on Jemma  
"I'm pregnant, you git" she barked. Apparently, this was more than she could handle, given the circumstances.  
"Oh" Samberly looked alarmed, "I'm not that sort of doctor, you know" he backed away. "I'm sorry" and abruptly left the cell, locking it behind him  
"Now what?" Piper frowned. By now, Jemma had sat up and seemed to be herself again  
"It's just morning sickness" she explained, again, "and I'm fine" she glared at everyone around her, "You've never seen a pregnant woman before?"  
"We had no idea" Yo Yo began, "and we're concerned about you, your health, the baby now, too"  
"And you think I can't bloody well do my job because I'm carrying- " she broke off. "I'm perfectly capable of of handling things"  
"When you're not spewing a puke geyser that rivals the girl in The Exorcist" Piper smirked  
"We'll find a way to get through this" Mack explained, "the cell, being imprisoned, not-" he glanced at Jemma  
"I know what you mean" she sighed  
"Alright, let's see how's our patient" a bright voice came down the hallway. Everyone looked it that direction.  
A smart looking blonde nurse stood there, a medical bag in hand, "Let's see what we can do today" she deftly opened the cell, locked it behind her, and knelt by Jemma  
"I saw your photograph" Jemma looked confused, "in the archives" she read the badge on the nurse's uniform, Thompson.  
"Oh yes" Nurse Thompson checked Jemma's pulse, and placed a stethoscope on Jemma's abdomen, and made some notes in a pad of paper she'd pulled from her medical bag.  
"You seem to be doing fine" she smiled, "and I wouldn't worry about things"  
"What can you do about getting us out of this cell" Piper spoke up, "You can see she shouldn't be here on the cold concrete floor, right?"  
"Of course" the nurse nodded, "I'll- try to speak to the Director" she stood and headed for the door, "We – well, we go a ways back"  
"Please" Mack implored, "we're the only family she has" he motioned towards Jemma, who now sat with the others on the hard bench, "she needs to be taken care of"  
"I'll do what I can" the nurse smiled sadly, "and you can call me Violet"

"She'll return" Yo Yo reassured the others, "like you said" she meant Jemma, "she was in the archives, so she's important"  
"I didn't want to tell her what I saw in the archives" Jemma sighed, "but perhaps we can change that, too, once we speak with Director Carter"


	4. Chapter 4

"What's a serial?" Deke whispered as the four sat down in the pitch-black theatre. They'd found seats near the front, close to the exit, should anything happen.

"I'll tell you later" Daisy whispered back.

Onscreen, Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc played, showing the federal agent, David Worth shot at underworld criminal Spade Gordon.

"Wow, this is great" Chronicom Coulson grinned at the action taking place.

"Sure" May nodded absently, not sure what to think about the machine that sat next to her.

There was some commotion in the back of the theatre, and Daisy noticed what looked like some real life agents checking with the ticket taker, who'd come through the theatre's entrance.

"I think we better shake a leg" Daisy turned to May, who sat on her other side.

"Good idea" May nodded and stood.

Unfortunately, no sooner had she done so, when the SSR agents fired shots into the theatre.

"Golly" a movie goer exclaimed, "feels like we're really there. Listen to that gunfire"

"Come on" Daisy and May led the men out of the theatre, as the SSR agents were hot on their heels.

The four narrowly made their way out of the darkened theatre, only to find themselves outside in the cold light of day.

"We've got to hide somewhere" Deke looked worried

"Come on, Come on" Daisy scanned the empty alley behind the movie theatre. Anywhere they could hide could be easily searched.

"Maybe we should get to Peggy Carter first" Daisy sighed, "even if it means going into custody"

"Forget it" May was assertive, "there's no way I'm dealing with those animals again"

"Good idea, May" Couslson turned to her, "I saw plenty of action with the Avengers." He looked at Daisy, "I can handle this"

"And you died" May looked sadly at him. She nodded to Daisy, "no, you're right. We've got get to Director Carter"

The four stood quietly while the agents soon arrived in the alley, handcuffed them, and threw them unceremoniously in the back of another vehicle.

Back at SSR/SHIELD,

"How's our patient feeling?" Violet checked on Jemma, now in a hospital bed, albeit with one wrist handcuffed to the bed frame. Enoch, Yo Yo, Mack and Piper were nearby in a more comfortable room, one with beds bolted to the floor, and a lock resolutely fixed to the door.

"You've got to let my friends out" Jemma implored, "and I'm fine, thank you, but we're not criminals. We're here to – help Director Carter"

"I'll see what I can do about getting Peg—Director Carter down here" Violet explained, "but it's really not up to me"

"Then who is it up to?" Jemma propped herself up

"I think I can help answer that" a dark-haired man strode into the room. Strode would be the wrong term though. He shuffled in, a crutch supporting his left side, a note-pad and pen in his right hand.

"Daniel Sousa" he smiled, "I'm the – second in command"

"You have no idea" Violet quipped

"Thank you, Nurse Thompson" Daniel gave a curt response, then turned his attention to Jemma, "You mentioned that you're here to help Director Carter. What can you tell me about that?" he sat at the foot of the bed, his crutch leaned on the bed frame, and he gripped the pen and pad of paper, ready to take notes.

"You see—" Jemma began, and hesitated as she looked at Nurse Violet standing there.

"You can go now" Daniel frowned at the nurse.

"No" Jemma didn't feel comfortable, "let her stay. You see, I'm not the right person to explain things. You really need to talk to my friends"

"The –" Daniel looked across the hallway to where the "criminals" were locked in a room.

"Yes, my friends" Jemma frowned, "Mack, Elena, Piper, and Enoch" she glared at him, "they have names"

"Right" Daniel nodded and wrote down the names. "I'll take care of that"

"See that you do" Jemma finished the conversation

Daniel gripped his crutch, stood, and turned away. As he did so, Jemma noticed the wedding ring on his hand.

"Everyone out" the SSR agents pushed Deke, Daisy, Coulson, and May out into the basement cell. Another agent ran up to the earlier agents and spoke quietly

"Change of plans" the SSR man pulled Deke aside

"Hey" Daisy reached out protectively, "He's with us"

"You're all going somewhere else" the agent spoke gruffly. He and his fellow men grabbed the SHIELD team and trooped them upstairs to another floor. They found themselves pushed into a small room with beds bolted to the floor.

"Get comfy" an agent sneered, "you'll be here awhile"

"Well this is garbage" Deke sighed

"Figured you'd be happier to see us" Mack gave a wry smile

"Mack!" Deke opened his arms wide to hug the bigger man

"Ok, ok" Mack held a hand out in front of him to stop Deke, "not that happy"

There was a knock on the door. Then the team heard mumbling words. The sound of a key thrust into a lock. Then, the door opened.

"I'm Daniel Sousa. I've got a few questions for you"


	5. Chapter 5

"We've got a couple of questions for you, too" Mack began before Daniel Sousa could go on.  
"Oh" he looked surprised. This wasn't usually how investigations, let alone interrogations, went.  
"It's really important" Piper put in, "Is Peggy Carter alright?"  
"Well, yeah, sure she is" Daniel nodded and smiled. "You know-" be went on  
"You're married to her, congratulations" Yo Yo gave a deadpan interruption, "We need to make sure she stays safe. There are these machines that look like people that want to kill her"  
"That's one way to put it" Daisy sighed, "but yes, it's vitally important that we secure Peggy Carter's safety, and honestly, you're the one person who can probably guarantee that"

"I wouldn't put it that way" Daniel looked embarrassed  
"This is no time for modesty" Mack was firm, "You have to let us out of here and make sure that she's in no harm whatsoever"  
"Damn it" Daniel sighed, "Thompson sent me down here with some wild story about space aliens, but you all look fine to me" he chuckled. "Tell you what, let me take care of some paperwork, and I'll get you taken care of" he smiled and walked out of the door.  
Deke rushed forward and tried the door handle, "It's locked" he lamented, "Now what?"  
"Now, we wait" Mack mused aloud  
"That seems not to be the most timely course of action" Enoch noted. Nobody wanted to say what they were thinking, that he was right. Choronicom Coulson stayed uncharacteristically quiet.  
Daisy pushed her way through the group to stand by Deke, "It'll be alright" she gazed outside the door's small window. They could see Jemma in her hospital bed. Daniel loped across the hallway to talk to her again.  
"I don't know" Deke shook his head, "I mean, how can we trust that guy?"  
"Because he's going to be- he probably already is Peggy Carter's husband. If you can't trust your own spouse, who can you trust?"

Unfortunately, when Daisy looked out the window, Daniel was gone, and in his place stood SSR agents, armed to the teeth with high powered, for the time that is, weaponry. Jemma was just as much a prisoner as they all were.  
"New plan" Daisy turned around and addressed the group, "Daniel Sousa's probably been killed, and whatever that thing is, it's probably a Chronicom wearing his face. I say we break out of here and get Jemma and Peggy Carter safe"  
"Sure, let's bust out of here and drag the Virgin Mary with us" Piper sniped, meaning Jemma  
"She's not in her third trimester" Yo Yo shot back, "she'll be fine"  
"Stop" Mack frowned, "We don't know if Agent Sousa has been compromised, let alone killed. Admittedly, I don't like what I'm seeing here. I'd like to say there's a reason for all this, but if there's not, we'll have to figure out something- some way to both get out of here, get Jemma and Director Carter to safety. The future depends on it"

"How?" Deke questioned, "you said that the Chronicoms know everything we do about SHIELD, how it began, all the protocol. They'll be one step ahead of us"  
"What if SHIELD never formed?" Daisy thought aloud, "What if – something else came about, something that had different protocol, something that the Chronicoms hadn't thought about?"  
"Like what?" Deke pouted  
"Like SWORD" May put in, "Originally, in our timeline, it was an offshoot of SHIELD, back when Fury was missing"  
"Right" Yo Yo nodded and smiled, "What if we cut out the middle man and went straight to dessert?"  
"Now I'm hungry, all this talk about food" Deke sighed  
"Do you think you could break down the door?" Piper asked Mack  
"I could quake it down" Daisy volunteered  
"That might send shrapnel shards out across the hallway and hurt Jemma" Mack frowned, "the same thing could happen if I used brute force to smash the door"  
"Done" Yo Yo waved the double sided door handle at the group. Where it had been, a fist sized hole had been gouged out of the door.  
"That's one way to handle things" Deke beamed.  
Everyone walked out into the hallway  
"Halt" the armed agents stopped the SHIELD team  
"Sorry boys" Yo Yo shot forward and suddenly stood next to the team again, this time with the high powered rifles in her hands, "Little boys shouldn't play with such dangerous toys" she quipped, "you might shoot your eye out"  
"Can you walk?" Mack was beside Jemma's bed  
"Good lord, of course I can" she scowled, "How far along do you think I am?"

Daisy quaked the guards against the wall, and the team ran down the hallway towards the elevator.  
"Let's take the stairs" Deke suggested  
"They'll be waiting for us in the elevator" Daisy agreed. The team headed for the stairwell.  
Behind them, the elevator chime sounded.  
Deke was halfway up the flight of stairs, Daisy on his tail, with Jemma, Mack, Piper and the rest behind them.

The elevator doors began to open. Enoch, Choronicom Coulson, and May were near the end of the group. They turned around and faced the elevator doors, ready to fight.  
The elevator doors opened fully. A figure stepped out.  
"I see that if I want something done, I'll have to take care of it myself" Director Peggy Carter addressed the group.


	6. Chapter 6

"You can relax" Peggy smiled, "We're the good guys"

"You're – you're one of the good guys?" Deke stared, not at her, but at Daniel Sousa, "We thought you were going to kill us. You sent those guards all around Nana, and you never came back for us"  
"Nana?" Daniel looked confused  
"You left without saying anything, no explanation, nothing" Mack explained  
"Hey, it takes time to get around with this" Daniel motioned toward his crutch, still on his arm, and tapped at his prosthetic leg with his crutch. "and this"  
"After he spoke with you, Agent Sousa brought me up to speed on what had happened with your group, about one member's pregnancy and how the rest of the – team as it were seemed quite concerned about my safety"  
"Director Carter" May stepped forward, "It's imperative that we speak with you, alone" she glanced at Sousa, "Your life' in grave danger, from nearly any man you encounter"  
"And I can handle anything those adolescents throw at me" she seemed self confident  
"Maybe" Mack nodded, "but they're not going to just try to hurt you with insults"  
"Awhile back" Jemma began, "Fitz -" her voice momentarily broke under the emotion, "and I had worked on a device for detecting LMDS, back when Aida had replaced men like Director Mace, and even Fitz himself, with machines" she continued, "I could, in theory, modify it to detect Chronicoms"  
"How is that even possible?" Deke looked at her incredulously  
"Chronicoms are mostly made of plastic alloy. We are powered by batteries and possess other cybernetic components." Enoch supplied.  
"I can work with that" Jemma smiled, "We'll need access to our ship" she told Director Carter.  
"You may have to get our resident team of scientists out of there first" Peggy grinned

In the Zephyr, Jason Wilkes and Aloysius Samberly led a team of scientists as they noted the various devices on the ship. Samberly tapped at a tablet screen, "Amazing"  
"Go easy with that" Wilkes suggested, "It's not a Whiskers toy" he referred to the magnetic children's game of moving metal filings onto an illustrated face.  
Samberly set the tablet down and moved on to the ship's control panels.  
"Dr. Samberly, Dr. Wilkes" Peggy's voice could be heard from outside the open loading door/  
The men turned toward her in unison  
"I'd like you to – take a break, as it were. The team needs to do work on their ship" she informed them  
"But how can we trust them?" Samberly looked suspicious  
"I can trust them as much as I can trust you" Peggy steeled her gaze on the round scientist.  
"Come on" Wilkes guided Samberly out of the ship, "There's a great little diner that I know about; they serve excellent pie"  
"Pie?" Samberly grinned  
"Yeah" Wilkes nodded, "They'll even let me sit there, too" the African American scientist gave a wry joke about the very real issue of racial discrimination.

"Actually" Jemma stopped the men, "We'll need some help"  
"Ok" Samberly blushed, "for you, anything"  
"She's married" Peggy informed them.  
"Got it!" Samberly turned back to the ship's controls.  
"Uh uh" Jemma warned, "Please don't touch that"  
Enoch and Chronicom Coulson stood by for further instructions. May watched them, for safety. She wasn't sure what Chrono Coulson might do next, and he had already been acting far too human for her liking.

Peggy turned to the others, Deke, Daisy, Mack, Yo Yo, and Piper. "You'll have to fill me in more about this whole- what did you call them?"  
"Hunter Chronicoms" Daisy explained, "They're like our friend, Enoch" she pointed to the bald man shaped machine, "except they want to destroy everything associated with SHIELD"  
"And you all know how to stop them?" Peggy tilted her head ever so slightly in question  
"Not exactly" Daisy sighed, "but, if Simmons over there can get things ready, we'll be able to figure it out" she went on, "Right now, we know that these things are stealing faces off people, and impersonating them"  
"It's regular science fiction horror come to life" Yo Yo quipped  
"So, instead of green men from mars, its robots from outer space?" Daniel grinned  
Deke laughed at the joke.  
"Please, let's not make light of this" Peggy glared at her husband.

"Sorry" Deke and Daniel replied in unison  
"So, she's your wife?" Deke glanced from Peggy over to Daniel  
"Yeah" Daniel grinned  
"How- I mean, why-" he faltered over his words  
"Why did she marry me?" Daniel's smile fell, "You know, I used to ask myself the same question" he looked hard at Deke, "you like her, don't you"  
"Who?" Deke glanced around hesitantly  
"The girl with the color in her hair" he meant Daisy  
"Oh yeah- I uh-" Deke grinned and blushed  
"Hey, if she's the right one for you, she'll like you just the way you are"  
"How did you know?" Deke looked confused  
"Let's just say that I know what it's like to try to change yourself, to hope that maybe if you do something different, or try to be somebody else, she'll like that" he chuckled quietly  
"I went into the world" Deke looked over to where the women and Mack were talking among themselves, "to - to try and be what everybody wants me to be" he sighed, "and she still thinks that I'm nothing"  
"There was a guy I used to work with who told me once that no girl would ever trade a red white and blue shield, for an aluminum crutch" Daniel gave a wry smile, "but you know what?"  
"No" Deke shook his head  
"Sometimes, she does." he waggled his fingers and Deke saw the shiny ring. "Just be yourself. If it'll happen, it'll happen. At least be her friend. Isn't that what she needs right now?"  
"I guess"  
"Look, being her friend won't get you into her-"  
"Direct Messages?" Deke looked eager  
"Uh-" Daniel looked confused, "ok, that too, I guess" he faltered, "what I mean is, being her friend shouldn't be something ulterior, or a means to an end. Just be there. Didn't you have a friend earlier?"  
"I did" Deke sighed, "but then he turned out to be a spy, and my other friend got killed" he meant Virgil, "and my girlfriend was a sociopath, and my -"  
"Ok" Daniel sighed, "just – be her friend, Ok?"

"Ok" Deke nodded and smiled. He understood, sort of.

"So, it's settled then?" Peggy walked over to Daniel and Deke  
"Uh, sure" Daniel looked warily at his wife  
"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" she shook her head and smiled  
"Not the slightest" he admitted sheepishly

"Apparently, your team" she spoke to Deke, "thinks that keeping me under twenty four hour surveillance would be the best way to keep me safe from these – err- robot men"

"We can split up the time into shifts" Mack explained to Deke, "there's about enough of us to get around four or five hours each"  
Daniel nodded in acknowledgment, "So, even at night? We're a married couple, you know"  
"And while we can trust you" Mack nodded, "how can we be sure that anyone from the paperboy to the milkman and anyone you come across during the day or night isn't one of the Chronicoms in disguise?"  
"Ok, point taken" Daniel conceded  
"Shifts start with Daisy tonight" Mack went on, "then I'll come over in the morning, and Deke in the afternoon"  
"Hey" Deke balked  
"It'll be ok" Mack reassured him, "then Piper the following night, and so on"  
"Wouldn't it be better to have another man stay over during the night?" Daniel thought aloud  
"You obviously don't know our women" Daisy interjected  
Peggy gave her a knowing nod.


	7. Chapter 7

Fennhoff's voice rang through the nearly empty hangar, "The men that you work with, they see you as broken- half a man. And Agent Carter- I see how you look at her, but she will never value you for the man that you are. How can she? She feels only pity." he continued.  
Daniel held the pistol, now trained at Jack Thompson  
"But we can change all that" Fennhoff went on, "But we can change all that if you just focus. Point your weapon" he instructed, "at yourself"  
Daniel took the pistol and held it to his own forehead, at his temple  
"- And pull the trigger" Fennhoff finished  
Instead of telling to snap out of it, here Thompson remained silent, eerily so.

Daniel held the pistol to his temple.  
He felt his finger press down on the trigger  
He head the click  
Then he awoke with a start, his shouts filled the room.  
In a flash, Peggy was awake, already next to him. "Daniel, you're here, you're safe" her voice soothed him  
Unfortunately, she wasn't the only other person in the room.  
"I'm here, what happened?" Piper had bounded into the room, her own pistol drawn, ready for action.  
"No no" Peggy held up a hand to warn Piper, "At ease, desist, calm down" her other arm around Daniel's shoulders.  
"It was the nightmare again? Peggy spoke to her husband.  
"It wasn't like that- when it happened- in reality" Daniel's voice rushed out in breathy gasps. He was shaking and sweating.  
"What happened?" Piper had holstered her pistol and now leaned against the open doorjamb.  
"He -" Peggy began  
"It's just a nightmare" Daniel scowled, "small children have nightmares. I'm a grown man"  
"You're a grown man who's dealing with a lot of changes" Peggy tried to console him  
"You're doing a good job" Piper offered, "and trust me, I've seen people who didn't, who couldn't handle things well" she remembered Davis, and his grisly death, although that wasn't his fault, either.  
"Thanks" Daniel sighed. He hated being catered to like this, as if he was an overgrown child, yet he'd been the one with the nightmare, and had apparently woken up the entire house with his shouts in the middle of the night. "I appreciate tha-" he began.  
He didn't get a chance to finish the comment. The sound of someone knocking quite loudly, down the hallway, snatched away everyone's attention, including his own.  
"What the bloody blue blazes was that?" Peggy threw the quilted comforter aside and yanked her service revolver from the bedside table.  
"See, that's the last thing you want to do" Piper eased from the open doorway, her pistol also unholstered, "

Piper was down the hall and at the door in moments, ready to fire.  
"You in there?" It's four already" Deke could be heard from outside.  
Piper whipped open the door, "What the hell, Deke?" she scowled at him  
"You said be here at four" he yawned  
"Four in the afternoon" she scolded, "not in the morning"  
"Oh, gee, yeah, that would make more sense" he chuckled at his own gaffe

"Hold on" Piper frowned, "How do I know you're really Deke"  
"Who else would I be?" he laughed  
"Shut up" she snapped, "Tell me something that only Deke would know"  
"I – uh" he faltered, "Come on, like you said, it's four in the morning"  
"Do it" she pointed the pistol at him  
"I- uh—I"  
"Who do you love?" she barked  
"I-" he stammered  
"Who?" she ordered  
"Daisy! You know that. You know I love her" he cried, "Everybody knows it, but she doesn't love me at all"

"Ok, ok, come inside. You made enough noise to wake the neighbors" she glanced around and dragged him into the house, and slammed the door behind him  
"All clear" Piper turned to put Peggy and Daniel at ease, but she saw Peggy standing there, ready for action with a pistol of her own.  
"I should certainly hope so" Peggy mused, "with all the commotion going on"  
"Is Daniel alright?" Piper was concerned  
"He's uh-" she glanced back a moment, "he's putting his leg back on"

"Bobo could make him a better one" Deke quipped  
"From what I understand, I don't think Daniel would appreciate whatever your grandfather could or couldn't do" Peggy was firm, "we've had enough conversations with Howard Stark already, and frankly, I find the point to be quite moot"

"How the hell did Mack even let you out at this hour?" Piper's question made perfect sense. Since the team had been stationed at SHIELD headquarters, quite only recently formerly the SSR, Mack had given strict instructions that all watches, day or night, would go through him. He was being the leader they all needed him to be.  
"Him and Yo-Yo- um" Deke blushed  
Piper screwed up her face, "I don't want to know" she sighed, "Well, you're here. Grab a spot on the couch, and I'll take the chair" she motioned toward the recliner in the corner of the living room.  
"No no, you take the couch. Women need to-" he started  
"Be extremely careful about the next words that come out of your mouth" Piper quipped.  
"I'm very sleepy" Deke exaggerated a yawn for everyone's benefit.  
"Good call" Piper grinned.  
"Unfortunately, all this excitement did quite the number on me" Peggy mused aloud  
"Alright, ok, I'm here" Daniel's crutch hit against the hardwood floor as he made his way down the hall, appearing at the living room entrance wearing pajamas, one foot bare and the other clad in a sock and shoe. Obviously, the bare foot was flesh and blood while the other was decidedly not.  
"Lovely" Peggy smiled at her husband, then turned and rolled her eyes at the long night ahead of them.

"I know, I can't really do much of anything" Daniel sighed, "but I just thought—" he didn't bother finishing the sentence.  
"No" Peggy shook her head, "Daniel, I'm not upset at you. We've both got a full day of work tomorrow, regardless of anyone or anything trying to kill us"  
"You" he reminded her  
"As it is," she went on, "It's the middle of the night, and I honestly don't fancy that anyone actually will show up now, what with the lights on and the neighbors wondering why a businessman and a telephone operator need to be awake at whatever godforsaken time it is now"  
"Thanks" he smiled, "You're handling everything so much better than I could" he was candid, "and there are times when I still can't imagine why you chose me, and I know I'll never be able to measure up to you"  
"Daniel" she sighed happily, and stroked his face with her hand, "You are stronger than you know" she pulled him in for a quick kiss, "and I'm not perfect, and for god's sake, please don't put me up on a pedestal" she referred to their earlier argument at an interrogation some years ago, "you and I chose each other" she continued, "and you know just as well as I do how hard life is when we're not what society calls ideal" she held his available hand in hers, "and you, you're my ideal" she squeezed his hand, "and I do know how you look at me, and I do feel the same way"

"Thanks" he smiled, "I just—sorry that I let my insecurities get to me"  
"Everyone has insecurities" she was honest, "we've been married for long enough that you have got to know that I have them myself" she continued, "each and every one of us do" she went on, "we question ourselves daily, 'will I matter to this person? Will they like me? Can I do this job that I'm being asked to do? What would I do if they tell me no?' that sort of thing"  
Deke stood there and stared at the married couple  
"Yes?" Peggy turned her gaze to the bearded man  
"I want to be like you two when I grow up" he was awestruck, "You see, I like this girl, and-"  
"The girl with the powers, the earthquake ability?" Peggy meant Daisy, "Daniel mentioned her a little bit" she smiled  
"You told her?" Deke frowned, "I thought we were friends"  
"Hang on" Daniel put up his available hand as a stopping gesture, "All I said was that you two reminded me of Peggy and I, and that I told you to be friends with her"  
"Did being friends with you really help?" Deke momentarily forgot he was talking to a married couple.  
"I needed a friend" Peggy answered after a few moments' thought, "What hurt more was that you took a job clear across the country without even letting me know, effectively running away from me, from us"  
"There wasn't really an us" Daniel chuckled, "and then I met Violet—"  
"So—I have to make her jealous?" Deke wondered aloud  
"No" Peggy and Daniel answered in unison  
"Deke" Peggy began, "You seem like a very nice young man, and I'm sure you like Daisy an awful lot"  
"You don't know the half of it" Piper laughed, "you still want to put your lips on her and move them around a lot?" she teased Deke  
"Yeah" Deke sighed, "but—that's not going to happen, is it?"  
"I think, at least for tonight, we've got enough on our hands with these killing machines out to hurt us" Peggy brought everyone back to the present, "and Deke, I'd love to assist you in your romantic tribulations, but for the moment, let's keep that aside, shall we?"

"We can't go around being paranoid at every man who shows up" Daniel reasoned, "Maybe we can chart who we can trust and who we can't"  
"Splendid idea' Peggy agreed

Daniel shuffled off into another room and soon returned with a lightweight easel, chart paper and pens.  
"Let's list who we know we can trust, making sure to mark the men" Peggy began, "You said that these—machines, can only take faces from men"  
"As far as we know" Piper nodded, "Enoch did say that they could remove their entire skin and wear another Chronicom's skin, but I really can't see how they'd do that with people" she remembered a scene in the film Men in Black, but thought better of mentioning that to Peggy and Daniel.  
"Fine" Peggy began writing on the chart paper, "Obviously, we know Daniel is safe"  
"Hey" Daniel mockingly took offense  
"Alright" Peggy smiled, "You're a dashing rogue and every women in America swoons for you"  
"I've only got eyes for you" Daniel grinned  
"Let's keep this moving" Piper made a circular motion with her hand, "I'd rather not get killed why you two are making bedroom eyes at each other"  
"Jarvis" Daniel supplied, "we'd have heard something, right?"  
"I suppose Edwin is definitely trustworthy, provided he's still himself" Peggy reasoned, but wrote the name Edwin Jarvis on the chart, under Daniel's name.  
"Howard" Peggy continued, "I've tried to fill him in on what's going on, but he's got some filming locations to check out"  
"What about the blonde guy" Deke supplied, "he held a gun to us"  
"Jack" Peggy realized, "I trust him about as far as I can throw him"  
"Yeah, but you can throw him pretty far" Daniel laughed  
"But he has changed, especially after his near death experience" she wrote the name Jack Thompson on the chart  
"What about the Colonel" Daniel asked  
"Phillips?" Peggy raised an eyebrow, "I haven't heard from him in a few days" she marked down the name.  
Just then, the doorbell rang  
"What is going on tonight?" Piper frowned  
"Speak of the devil" Peggy glanced through the door's peephole, "Colonel Phillips" she opened the door.  
The Colonel didn't respond with a greeting. Rather, he whipped out a pistol and fired.


	8. Chapter 8

Peggy Carter moved to get away from the bullet, but she wasn't fast enough. Daniel Sousa thrust his crutch out, hoping to deflect the bullet.  
Deke Shaw leapt in front of the SHIELD director.  
The bullet found a target, just not its intended one.  
"Deke" Piper shouted as the young man fell to the ground.  
Phillips had already cocked his pistol and was ready to aim at Carter once more, but Daniel beat the Colonel in the face with his crutch.  
Peggy Carter trained her own pistol on her former colleague  
"The face" Piper instructed, "the head" she motioned with her pistol, "that's how to kill it"  
"It?" Daniel beat the Colonel in the face with his crutch once more  
"That's not Chester Phillips" Piper shot the Army officer, but he kept moving and the bullet only hit his shoulder.  
"One of those- Chromium devices?" Peggy aimed a well timed bullet at Phillips, and struck him in the face.  
"Right" Piper shot twice rapidly

Daniel yanked the rubber stopper off the end of his crutch and then rammed the metal rod into Phillip's neck. There was a shower of sparks as the machine finally stopped.  
Then, and only then, could the trio turn to Deke, who lay bleeding onto the Sousa's hardwood floor.  
"We've got to get him to a hospital" Piper shouted

"Peggy, stay here with Piper" Daniel was concerned, "I'll get him to the hospital"

It took all three of them to load Deke into the back of Daniel's car.

At the hospital, Daniel looked around furtively, half afraid he'd run into his ex-fiance, Violet. Thankfully, nurses had loaded Deke onto a gurney and had whisked him away for surgery. Now, Daniel sat alone on a bench and was lost in thought. This was the hospital where Ana Jarvis had lain after Dottie Underwood had shot her. How many more deaths, let alone near-deaths, would be seen here?  
He got to his feet, and made his way over to the pay phone. He fed in some coins and made two important calls.

At the house, Peggy rifled through the dead man's pockets. Along with Phillip's actual wallet, keys, and other accouterments, she found a handwritten note regarding the Arena Club  
"What's that?" Piper looked confused  
"The Arena Club is social club for wealthy middle-aged men in Los Angeles, California with a strict no-women rule" she sighed, "It's also a front for the Council of Nine to conduct their secret businesses" she explained, "they were planning to rig the senate campaign to make Anderson lose and Chadwick win"  
"I'm usually more with it" Piper felt embarrassed, "can you explain what this means"  
"It means that your team will have to infiltrate the Arena Club" she smiled knowingly, "and I think I know just the way to do it"  
Just then, the telephone rang. Peggy deftly answered the phone, "Yes, of course I know how to handle things, Daniel Sousa" she snapped, "yes, I searched his pockets. As a matter of fact, he has an appointment at the Arena Club. Yes, yes it does seem odd" she went on with the conversation, and then both said their goodbyes and hung up.  
She tossed Piper a jacket, "Put this on over your futuristic uniform, we've got to get to the hospital"

"He's waking up" Jemma smiled. At the hospital, Deke was slowly coming out of anesthesia  
"Is Daisy here?" Deke gave a lopsided grin, "She's so pretty"  
"Go easy, loverboy" Mack nodded, "you can talk to her in a minute."  
Deke focused his gaze on the agents who stood around him, Mack, Elena, Jemma, Piper, Director Carter, her husband, and - Daisy.

"You took a bullet for Peggy Carter, I guess I can give you a break" Daisy leaned over and kissed Deke's cheek.  
Deke grinned as wide as he could. Then his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell asleep again.

"When he wakes up again, we'll have to brief him on this new mission" Mack looked at Daisy, "can you explain it to him?"  
"I'm sure he just hears violins playing when I'm talking" Daisy quipped, "and lemons"

The next night, Deke and Daisy were dressed in period clothes, as they stood outside the Arena Club.  
"Are you ready for this?" she smiled at him and held his hand in hers  
"No, but let's go do it anyway" he grinned  
They made their way inside. There was a job to do


End file.
